HELLA takes over plastics technology expert FWB

Lippstadt/Pirmasens, 15 September 2020. HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA is taking over FWB Kunststofftechnik GmbH in Pirmasens. The company has reached an agreement with the shareholders of FWB. FWB has been supplying HELLA with sophisticated plastic components for many years. FWB currently employs around 180 people and generates annual sales of around € 20 million in the fields of injection moulding tools, automation, plastic parts and assembly. HELLA already has a 25 percent share in FWB. With the complete takeover, which took place on 14 September 2020, HELLA intends to secure its own supply chain in the long term and further develop FWB as an independent company. The parties to the contract have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

 

"With the acquisition of FWB, we are integrating a long-standing, highly innovative and  essential partner into the global HELLA network and thus securing our automotive value-added chain long term," says Gerold Lucas, who, as a member of the Executive Board of HELLA's Electronics Division, is responsible for the worldwide production network. "At the same time, we want to preserve the independence of FWB and consistently develop the company in regards to technological, quality and cost leadership." The previous main shareholder of FWB, Manfred Schmidt, adds: "I am pleased that in HELLA we have found a strong partner to further expand FWB's leading position in the international plastics industry, including the associated tool production, and thus to secure the company's long-term existence."

 

When HELLA takes over the complete shares of the FWB, the previous managing partner Frank Schmidt will leave the company. Andreas Kleinehr will be the new managing director of FWB Kunststofftechnik GmbH. The 51-year-old industrial engineer has many years of specialist and management experience in various well-known industrial companies. He has been with HELLA since 2002, where he was most recently responsible for the areas of labour economics and improvement management worldwide.